The percentage of homes that are “unoccupied,” meaning those not occupied by usual residents, has fallen nationally for the first time in 20 years, according to new research from Point2Homes.
The report, which uses data from Statistics Canada, shows that vacancy rates have fallen in 87 of Canada’s 150 most populous cities over the past 10 years.
In Quebec, five cities recorded a particularly significant decrease in their vacancy rate, ranging from 29 to 50% respectively in Drummondville, Saint-Georges, Blainville, Repentigny and Mascouche.
On the contrary, the cities of Lévis, Victoriaville, Québec, Boucherville and Saguenay saw an increase in the vacancy rate. However, they did not overtake Montreal, which recorded the highest number of unoccupied units, despite the current housing crisis. In 2021, more than 62,204 homes were empty there.
According to Statistics Canada, homes occupied by university or college students are considered empty, as the agency defines students’ “usual residence” as their parents’ home.